Your Kitchen Pantry: A Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist to Save Time, Money & Stress
- Yukari Bianchi
- Apr 11
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Have you ever started a recipe only to realize you're out of cornstarch halfway through?
You dig through the pantry cabinet—past three bottles of ketchup, a crusty jar of tahini, and a mysteriously unlabeled bag of "something"—only to discover that the cornstarch you thought you had was just a figment of your imagination.
Yep. I've been there and done that, and I'm with you.
But what if I tell you that cooking becomes joyful and fun again, not stressful, if you do this one thing? Your spices are fresh, the kitchen shelves are clean, and the ingredients you need for your recipe are easy to find. Everything you need is right there whenever you're ready to cook.
That's the magic of a spring-cleaning kitchen pantry!
And trust me—your future self and your dinner (and your wallet) will thank you.
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you click and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we truly use and love in our own kitchen!
Step-by-Step: Our Kitchen Pantry Spring Cleaning Checklist:
Aric and I do it every Spring and Fall. (OK, mostly ME. Aric would be busy building another cat shelf for our Sous Chef Kitten, Ka-En the Firecracker, or making his own wooden cutting board. I had to drag him in when I filled trash in big bags!)
In our house, we call it the "Blue-Tape Pantry System"—it's how we turn chaos into calm every Spring and Fall, using a few simple tools and a lot of music-fueled cleaning joy!
1. Put Your Favorite Music
The most important thing here is to enjoy yourself while you do this. I always play live music on YouTube. For some reason, watching a live concert while cleaning pumps me up! During my little breaks, I sing along and dance with a soy sauce bottle as my microphone. (Yes, really.) I'd also have my favorite "gear"—an apron, gloves, and hat. Wear whatever makes you feel like the best-looking cleaning fairy.
Oh, one more thing. I like cleaning the pantry when it's nice and sunny so I can open all the windows and get fresh air!
2. My Go-To Preparation Check List
3 Boxes or Trash Bags (one for throwaway, one for donation, and one for keeping)
Painter's Tapes (Blue masking tape)
Scissors or Utility Knife
Black Marker Pen
Clean Containers (we love using Cambro, which is BPA-free and meets NSF standards for food safety) and Jars (like the Mason Jars we all love!).
3. Let's get started!
OK, are you ready? Turn the music on? Wear the gear and supplies nearby?
Now, let's take everything out of your pantry. I mean everything. Wipe down the shelves with soap and warm water. If there is any stain, soak it with soap and warm water or an all-purpose cleaner for a few minutes and wipe it off.
4. Sort and Toss
[Understand Expiration Date]
We've been conditioned to check expiration dates and throw it away if it has passed the date. However, the USDA stated;
"Confusion over the meaning of dates applied to food products can result in consumers discarding wholesome food. In an effort to reduce food waste, it is important that consumers understand that the dates applied to food are for quality and not for safety. Food products are safe to consume past the date on the label. Regardless of the date, consumers should evaluate the quality of the food product prior to its consumption." (resources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service )
[Tip: Food is "Caring"]
Now that you know the expiration date is for quality, not safety, please donate canned food and unopened, dried-packaged food to your local food banks, shelters, or churches if you won't use them instead of throwing them away.
They can use it to help those in need with your donations.
Spices and Dry Herbs:
Although they don't have specific expiration dates, if they no longer smell like anything, it's time to say goodbye.
Canned Food:
Generally, store-bought canned food is safe to eat indefinitely. A good rule of thumb is to use it within 3 years to keep flavor and texture intact. If the can is swelling, leaking, rusting, or otherwise damaged, it's best to toss it away.
Dry-Packaged Pantry Items (Pasta, Grain, Beans, Flour, etc.)
Dry-packaged pantry items have a long shelf life, but it's good to throw them away if you see any discoloration, mold, or change in texture or if the original package is damaged. Although they're safe to eat indefinitely, the flavor and texture will decrease over the years.
5. Group by Category
[Tip: Create a "Kitchen Radius" System]
Before organizing your pantry, consider the items' proximity to your cooking and prepping areas. Store frequently used items closest to your stove and prep space.
For example, we transfer oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper into small bottles or jars and keep them on the counter for easy access. It allows us to store larger oil containers and boxes of salt and pepper in the pantry closet.
Here's how we categorize our pantry items:
Canned goods (beans, tomatoes, canned tuna)
Grains (rice, pasta, quinoa, dry beans)
Baking items 1. (flour, sugar, panko, bread crumbs)
Baking items 2. (honey, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, maple syrup, sugar powder, baking soda, baking powder)
Condiments (Oil, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce)
Spices & herbs
Snacks (Aric is serious about his stash of dried cherries and nuts. For me, cookies and chocolate—though I try not to stash them because I'll eat them all at once!)
The fun part is grouping things in a way that makes sense for how you cook. We group items based on how often we use them.
For example, we keep grains, Baking Items 1, condiments, spices, and dry herbs on open shelves because we use them the most. We prefer a "grab and go" system for these items.
Other items, like canned goods, Baking Items 2, and snacks, are stored in the pantry closet and cabinet since we don't use them as often.
So, take your time and think about how to group your items, prioritizing those you use most frequently and considering how easily you can take them out and put them away.
Create a Weekly Pantry Inventory Habit
This is the game changer. Every Wednesday, our last working day of the week, I do a quick pantry check for 10-15 minutes before making our meal plan. I stock up on one to two backups because we have a limited pantry cabinet. It also makes it easier for me to check what we have and don't have. It avoids unnecessary purchases and reduces clutter and waste. (saves money!) It also helps make meal plans! So, I made a simple printable checklist (link below for you to download!) and laminated it so I can use it multiple times and not waste paper.
But you can also use:
A Notes app
Google Sheets
A sticky note on the fridge-Seriously, whatever works for you!
(Even a basic checklist helps you feel SO much more in control! )
When I do a pantry check, I also do a few extra things that help keep the pantry organized.
Refill things that are less than half in the jars or containers.
Wipe down the bottles of soy, mirin, sake, oils, and vinegar to keep the shelves clean.
Throw away empty bags and boxes.
Label the jar or container if it's not labeled.
Oh, Aric and I use the blue tape (masking tape) for labeling.
Why? Because I'm not as good an organizer as Marie Kondo. Like her, I tried to be more visually organized and used fancy stickers to label things at one point. However, I found the glue so sticky that it was hard to get out when I wanted to use the jar or container for a different purpose.
Because Aric and I worked in the restaurant industry for a long time, we are so used to using "blue tape" (That's what we call it) in the kitchen to label everything!
(Have you seen the TV show "The Bear" when Chef Carmy meticulously cut the green masking tape, telling the pastry chef, Marcus, how both ends are clean cut? Yep, that's us.)
It's easy to write on it with a black marker pen and remove it without residue before washing it in the dishwasher, so I returned to using the good ol' blue tape.
Functionality over aesthetics, I guess...
"Old habits die hard."
How a Clean Pantry Helps You Cook Better
Since we started this routine, we've noticed:
We save money by using what we already have
We waste way less food
No more panic grocery runs in the middle of cooking
We get more creative with "Pantry" cooking
Pantry Dinners We Love:
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (pasta, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes)
Japanese-style Tuna pizza (!!) or Tuna Mayo Onigiri (It's a very popular Onigiri in Japan!)
Fried Rice with Chickpeas and Leftover Veggies
Tomato and Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Black Bean Soup with Hot sauce and Tortillas
Join Our Pantry Challenge!
Are you motivated? Do you want to challenge yourself? Let's do a "Pantry-Only Meals" together! The challenge goes like this!
1.) Take a photo of your pantry for "Before" photos.
2.) Clean your pantry and take "After" photos.
3.) Share your photos in the blog comments!
[Bonus! ]
1.) Cook all your meals using your pantry. You might surprise yourself with how many dishes you can create!
2.) Post a picture of your best "pantry surprise meal" on our blog comment! (We will share it on our social media!)
We'd LOVE to see what you create!
Every cleaned-up shelf is a little act of self-care. You deserve that kind of peace every day.
Happy Spring, friends!
From our blue-tape pantry to yours, Yukari (and Senna and Ka-En, who were ZERO help during cleaning but 100% supportive snack and dance buddies! ).
FREE DOWNLOAD!
Get our easy Pantry Inventory Checklist and start your weekly habit today! 👉 [Click here] to download your FREE Pantry Checklist!
Let's make cooking less chaotic and way more joyful—together.
Thank you for the wonderful info!